Do Not Be Alarmed

In recent months, the boards of FAPC have been actively discussing the challenges faced by contemporary Christian communities. The most significant concern faced by churches across this country is the increasing number of Americans (especially young adults) who say that they “believe in God,” yet are turned off by “organized religion.”

Determined to understand this viewpoint (now espoused by 25% of our country’s population), a group of leaders at FAPC recently read a report from The Pew Forum on Religion entitled: “Nones” on the Rise: One-in-Five Adults Have No Religious Affiliation. I commend this eye-opening document to you. You can access the executive summary and download the entire report by clicking on the underlined title above. It takes about thirty minutes to read. It is worth it.

This past Tuesday, we had a great conversation about The Pew Forum’s findings. True, there is a lot of sobering news here. Young Americans are saying, clearly and repeatedly, that they find the contemporary church to be 1) overly political, 2) painfully homophobic, and 3) downright hypocritical when it comes to pointing out others’ sins.

These are the brutal facts.

Notably, however, not a single person in the conversation on Tuesday night was ready to throw in the towel. Quite the opposite. The brutal facts are not simply brutal; they are also energizing. They are a wake-up call! This broken world still needs—desperately needs—the good news of Jesus Christ; and the complaints of America’s youngest generation are a prod to action.

Too often in recent years, churches have acted the part of a morality cop wagging a finger at wayward sinners. This is a painful irony. After all, Jesus spent his ministry disappointing religious leaders who loved to spit-polish their Sin-Patrol badges, but had little inclination to reach out those in need. As one young man recently said to me, “Honestly pastor, I just wish the church looked a little more like Jesus.”

What do you know? Our image problem has a fix; and it’s the most obvious cure imaginable: Jesus!

This Sunday, we will welcome to FAPC’s pulpit the Reverend Amos Disasa the founding pastor of Downtown Church in Columbia, South Carolina. I met Amos this past summer. He has an amazing story. He is also a gifted minister who, I believe, has embraced the challenge of being a faithful church in unique and powerful ways.